The present invention relates generally to joinder manufacturing processes, and more particularly, to the unique identification and tracking of parts throughout the manufacture, assembly, end use, and disposal of the parts and resulting assembly of parts.
It is of critical importance, in modern manufacturing processes, to ensure traceability of products, and the materials and parts comprising the products. Traceability is often achieved through the use of identifiers, either generic or unique. Individual items can be traced throughout the manufacturing process, tracking quality and inventory data, as well as being used to track and respond to demand. These identifiers can also be used to identify and track parts in components assembled at a site separate from the manufacturing site, as often happens in the construction, aerospace, semiconductor, process industries, and others. Identifiers can be used by manufacturers, distributors, end users, or any other entity in the usage chain. Identifiers can be used to reference documentation, tracking serial numbers, material IDs, date codes, test data, performance information, inspection data, inventory, finance information, and numerous additional data
A great many manufacturing processes use identifiers to track quality, inventory, assembly, service, and recycling of products, and the components comprising the product. Identifiers can be in the form of optical identifiers such as bar-codes, inductive transmitting/receiving devices, or other form of ID memory, alpha-numeric codes, and other identification technologies presently in existence or identification technologies yet to be developed. The identification can be inscribed on the part or product, stamped, embedded, integrated, or a tag identification means can be attached. The identification means utilized being appropriate for the product type and expected usage environment.
Components originate from at least one first level manufacturer, wherein raw materials are fabricated into parts. These components may then be transported to a distributor, end user, or directly to a first assembler. The first assembler can receive components from various first level manufacturers, combining these parts into a first assembly. This first assembly can then be delivered to a second assembler. The second assembler combines the first assembly with a second assembly or series of components, creating a more complex second assembly. This process of combining components and assemblies continues until the final assembly, wherein a plurality of components and assemblies are combined in a final configuration, being ready for end use.
In more demanding fields, such as aerospace, semiconductor, and automotive, each component requires accompanying documentation throughout its lifetime, including manufacturing data, quality data, chain of custody documents, and so on. This documentation can be in paper, tag, or digital form, or a combination of the three. Conversely, in less demanding fields, this chain of documentation often stops immediately after the manufacturing process. In either case, presently, if a component possesses an identifier, the identifier is used to merely track individual components within an assembly, without tracking the unique combination of components comprising the initial and final assemblies.
Currently, when two components are joined, the joining process used is decided by the worker controlling the process, relying on experience or other references. What is lacking is a unique joining process recommendation that is automatically given to the worker, based on the unique properties of each component associated with a unique identification found on each component. For example, when welding together two components in a flow system, the worker must use past experience and intuition to create a weld schedule. All too often, information about the component, such as raw material, thickness, finish, and so on, is not known to a perfect degree, resulting in less than perfect welds.
Additionally, in present processes, information regarding the joinder processes employed at each assembly step is not controlled. For instance, presently when a first component is joined to a second component (by means of welding, adhesives, fasteners, and any other joining means), the information regarding the details of the joining process and other issues of quality are not inherently included in the documentation following the assembly, information such as the identification of the person or device that created the assembly and the exact conditions under which it was created. Not knowing the exact joining process and the strength of the bond can be catastrophic in downstream assemblies and end usage.
What is needed in the art and heretofore has not been available is a unique identification component tracking system that initially recommends a joinder process between at least two uniquely identified components, based on the known properties of each component, based on the reading of a unique identifier on each component. What is also needed is a component tracking system that, upon the joining of at least two uniquely identified components, associates each component with the resulting assembly, maintaining the complete history of each component, and forming a joinder data array. And, upon scanning any component within the assembly, the complete, exact assembly can be identified with complete information of all other components within the assembly. What is additionally needed is a tracking system that permanently stores the joinder data array within an easily accessible storage and retrieval means, the joinder data being available at any point in the lifetime of the assembly and beyond. What is yet again needed, is a tracking system that recommends maintenance and replacement of the components within a system, based on manufacturers recommendations and recalls, the replacement component being permanently associated with the assembly. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.